Habitable construction ceiling supporting structure fabricated with only three different kinds of structural elements joined by screws

ABSTRACT

Supporting structure for supporting the leveled ceiling, or other constructive elements, of an habitable construction, where said supporting structure can be fabricated with only three different kinds of structural elements, joined with each other by screws or any other suitable joining mean, where said structural elements have a simple shape which allow a fast, simple and cheap construction of very flexible ceiling supporting structures, which do not get deformed nor attacked by termites, as the time goes on, and which are able to satisfy the requirements of different kinds of habitable constructions that normally involve the supporting of ceilings in the lower part of rough works, like truss, slabs and other related elements.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention is related with a structure for supporting the leveled ceiling of one habitable construction.

[0002] The fabrication of leveled ceilings of gypsum-board panels, asbestos-cement panels, wood panels, etc., in habitable constructions is a highly required activity in the related industry. To do this, first it is necessary the fabrication of suitable ceiling supporting structures, able to absorb the normal height differences observed in the lower part of the rough works like truss, slabs and other related elements, to which those supporting structures are going to be fixed.

[0003] It is known in the art the use of different alternatives for fabricating said ceiling supporting structures. Among them, we can mention the hand made non prefabricated wood structures, which must be adapted where the habitable construction is being made; the hand made non prefabricated metal structures, which must be adapted where the habitable construction is being made; and the prefabricated modular metallic structures, assembled where the habitable construction is being made.

[0004] The hand made non prefabricated wood structures, which must be adapted where the habitable construction is being made, are unfortunately slow to fabricate because of there is no standardization associated to the fabricating process, and consequently the structures must be adapted, every time, to the particular requirements of the each habitable construction. Additionally, as the time goes on, said structures normally get deformed, get attacked by termites, get loose (their joints), etc., which may lead to a bad leveling, cracking, and progressive degradation of the ceiling structure.

[0005] The hand made non prefabricated metal structures, which must be adapted where the habitable construction is being made, are, like the above mentioned wood structures, unfortunately slow to fabricate because of analogous considerations. Additionally, when the mentioned metallic structures are correctly adapted to the rough work, they do not have the above mentioned problems of deformation nor degradation.

[0006] The prefabricated modular metallic structures, assembled where the habitable construction is being made, can solve the above described problems, however, those prefabricated modular metallic structures normally involve a big amount of complicated components, which increase the cost of the structure.

[0007] The above described argumentation and the continuous necessity of making faster and cheaper habitable constructions, lead us to conclude that it is evident the necessity of inventions able to allow a fast, simple and cheap fabrication of ceiling supporting structures in habitable constructions. For preference, said supporting structures shall be flexible enough to satisfy the different possible requirements of habitable constructions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention is related with a structure for supporting the leveled ceiling of one habitable construction, or other related constructive elements, where said structure is only made with three different kinds of simple shape structural elements (1, 6 and 10), which are fabricated with galvanized steel or another suitable material like fiber glass, carbon fiber, laminated brass, laminated copper, plastic, non ferrous materials, or any other suitable material with compatible physical properties with this invention. Said structural elements are joined with each other by any kind of suitable screws or any another suitable joining mean like wire joints, welding joints, bolt joints, rivet joints, as well as any other suitable joining mean with compatible physical properties with this invention.

[0009] Because of the simplicity of the shape of said structural elements, its fabrication involves relatively low costs. Additionally, the geometry of said structural elements allow the construction of very flexible ceiling supporting structures, able to satisfy the requirements of different kinds of habitable constructions, which normally involve the support of ceilings from rough works like truss, slabs and other related elements.

[0010] The flexibility of said ceiling supporting structures, is able to absorb without problems the normal height differences observed in the lower part of the rough works, like truss, slabs and other related elements, to which those supporting structures are fixed. For this reason, those supporting structures can define without problems a leveled horizontal supporting plane independently of the magnitude of said height differences, which under other circumstances could make difficult to obtain a leveled supporting structure with a consequently non leveled ceiling.

[0011] The first structural element (1) (see FIG. 1) comprises a height regulating zone, which includes a first section (2), essentially rectangular, belonging to a first essentially vertical auxiliary plane, from whose longer sides are extended in the same direction and perpendicularly to said first essentially vertical auxiliary plane two directing walls (3), belonging respectively to a second and third essentially vertical auxiliary planes; and a supporting zone, which comprises a second section (4) essentially rectangular, belonging to said first essentially vertical auxiliary plane, which has a first, second, third and fourth sides, where said first side joins together with one of the shorter sides of said first section (2), essentially rectangular, and said second side, opposed to said first side, joins together with a supporting wall (5) belonging to a fourth essentially horizontal auxiliary plane.

[0012] The second structural element (6) (see FIG. 2) comprises an essentially rectangular base (7), belonging to a fifth essentially horizontal or vertical auxiliary plane, from whose longer sides are extended in the same direction and perpendicularly to said fifth auxiliary plane two essentially rectangular directed walls (8), belonging respectively to a sixth and seventh auxiliary planes which are essentially perpendicular to said fifth auxiliary plane; the shorter side of said base (7) is slightly shorter than the shorter side of said first section (2), essentially rectangular, so said second structural element can be inserted inside said height regulating zone of said first structural element (1), in such a way that said base (7) stay together with said first section (2), which allows that said directed walls (8) may stay together with or very close to said directing walls (3); the directing walls (8) are extended a shorter length than the length of said third and fourth sides of said second section (4), essentially rectangular, so said second structural element (6) can be supported by said supporting wall (5) of said first structural element (1), which allows that said base (7), of said second structural element (6), may stay together with the supporting wall (5) of said first structural element (1); additionally, said directed walls (8) may have in their respective opposed sides to said base (7) two respective fold reinforcements (9).

[0013] The third structural element (10) (see FIG. 3) comprises a lower section (11), essentially rectangular, belonging to an eighth essentially horizontal auxiliary plane, from whose longer sides rise two walls (12) up to the same height; the height of said third structural element (10) is slightly lower than the shorter side of said base (7), which allows that the ends of said third structural element (10) may be inserted between the directed walls (8) of said second structural element (6), so said ends may stay together with or very close to said base (7); said walls (12) have in their upper part an essentially horizontal reinforcement wall (13).

[0014] Said structural elements (1, 6 and 10) may have a complete or a partial rough and/or in relief surface or may have any other suitable irregularities in their surface which may facilitate the fabricating process when screwing the screws or when putting any other suitable joining mean.

[0015] When the ceiling of one habitable construction must be somehow supported by rough works like trusses with little differences in the height of their bottoms, the structural elements of the invention allow fabricating a first kind of supporting structure (see FIGS. 4, 5 and 6). Said first kind of supporting structure comprises an array of said first structural elements (1) with their respective height regulation zones fixed conveniently, by means of screws, to the bottoms of said trusses, in such a way that the supporting walls (5) of each one of said first structural elements (1) define an horizontal leveled plane; then, on said supporting walls (5) it is arranged an array of said second structural elements (6), whose respective bases (7) are supported by and fixed to said supporting walls (5), by means of screws, where each one of said second structural elements (6) is fixed to a row of said first structural elements (1); then, in the bottom of said array of second structural elements (6) is arranged an array of third structural elements (10), whose respective horizontal reinforcement walls (13) are fixed to the respective bases (7) of said second structural elements (6), by means of screws, where said third structural elements (10) are arranged essentially perpendicular, respect to said second structural elements (6); finally, in the bottom of said array of third structural elements (10) is arranged the leveled ceiling of the associated habitable construction, by means of screws.

[0016] When the ceiling of one habitable construction must be somehow supported by rough works like trusses and additionally said ceiling must be significantly lower than the bottom of said trusses, the structural elements of the invention allow fabricating a second kind of supporting structure. Said second kind of supporting structure comprises an array of vertically oriented second structural elements, which are arranged in such a way that their respective basis (7) can be conveniently fixed, by means of screws, to the bottom of said trusses; then, there must be arranged an array of first structural elements (1) with their respective height regulation zones fixed conveniently, to the lower end of said second structural elements (6), by means of screws or other suitable joining mean. Said first structural elements (1) must be arranged in such a way that the supporting walls (5) of each one of them define an horizontal leveled plane. Finally, in order to complete the fabrication of the supporting structure, there must be followed the same steps that where already described in the first kind of supporting structure.

[0017] When the ceiling of one habitable construction must be somehow supported by rough works like trusses with big differences in the height of their bottoms, the structural elements of the invention allow fabricating a third kind of supporting structure. Said third kind of supporting structure is a mix of said first and second kinds of supporting structures already described. In this case, some of the elements of said array of first structural elements (1), whose supporting walls (5) define an horizontal leveled plane, may be fixed directly to said trusses (like in the first kind of supporting structure), and the rest of them must be fixed to the second structural elements (6) which are conveniently fixed to the trusses (like in the second kind of structure) This third kind of supporting structure is able to absorb bigger differences in the height of the bottom of the trusses than the height differences that is able to absorb the first kind of supporting structures.

[0018] When the ceiling of one habitable construction must be somehow supported by rough works like slabs, the structural elements of the invention allow fabricating a fourth kind of supporting structure (see FIGS. 7, 8, 9 and 10). Said fourth kind of supporting structure comprises a first array of first structural elements, each one of them is arranged in such a way that their respective supporting walls (5) can be fixed to the slab by means of bolts, or another suitable joining mean; then, it is arranged an array of second structural elements (6), where each one said second structural elements (6) is vertically oriented, in such a way that its respective upper end can be fixed, by means of screws, to the respective height regulation zone, of each one of said first structural elements (1) of said first array; then, it is conveniently arranged a second array of said first structural elements (1), in such a way that the lower end of each one of said second structural elements (6), can be inserted and fixed, by means of screws, to the respective height regulation zone of the respective first structural element (1) of said second array. The supporting walls (5) of each one of said first structural elements (1) of said second array define an horizontal leveled plane. Finally, in order to complete the fabrication of the supporting structure, there must be followed the same steps that where already described in the first kind of supporting structure.

[0019] When the ceiling of one habitable construction must be somehow supported by rough works whose height is very high when compared with the height of the ceiling, the structural elements of the invention allow fabricating a fifth kind of supporting structure (see FIGS. 11, 12 and 13). Said fifth kind of supporting structure comprises an array of first structural elements (1) with their respective height regulation zones fixed conveniently to the lower end of respective suitable long wire, where the upper ends of said wires are conveniently fixed, by means of screws or other suitable joining means, to the bottom of the rough work. Said first structural elements (1) must be arranged in such a way that the supporting walls (5) of each one of them define an horizontal leveled plane; then, on said supporting walls (5) it is arranged an array of said second structural elements (6), whose respective bases (7) are supported by and fixed to said supporting walls (5) by means of screws, where each one of said second structural elements (6) is fixed to a row of said first structural elements (1); then, in the bottom of said array of second structural elements (6) is arranged an array of third structural elements (10), whose respective horizontal reinforcement walls (13) are fixed to the respective bases (7) of said second structural elements (6), by means of screws, where said third structural elements (10) are arranged essentially perpendicular, respect to said second structural elements (6); finally, in the bottom of said array of third structural elements (10) is arranged the leveled ceiling of the associated habitable construction, by means of screws.

[0020] Because of the flexibility of the structures that can be made with the structural elements of the invention, an skilled person in this technical field may find some other structures able to be made with said structural elements.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0021] In preferred embodiment, in order to reduce the manufacturing costs, said first structural element (1) is designed in such a way that it can be obtained from a rectangular sheet metal. To do this, said directing walls (3) are essentially rectangular and have the same horizontal dimension. Additionally, said supporting wall (5) is essentially rectangular. Besides, the length of any of the mentioned shorter sides of said first section (2) essentially rectangular, plus the horizontal length of both directing walls (3) is equivalent to the length of any of said third or fourth sides of said second section (4) essentially rectangular, and is equivalent to the length of the projection of said supporting wall (5) over said second section (4) essentially rectangular.

[0022] On the other hand, on its preferred embodiment, in order to reinforce the structure of said second structural element (6), said directed walls (8) have, in their respective opposed sides to said base (7), two respective fold reinforcements (9).

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023]FIG. 1 shows the first structural element (1) of the invention.

[0024]FIG. 2 shows the second structural element (6) of the invention.

[0025]FIG. 3 shows the third structural element (10) of the invention.

[0026]FIG. 4 shows the first kind of supporting structure that can be made with the invention.

[0027]FIG. 5 shows a first detail of the first kind of supporting structure that can be made with the invention.

[0028]FIG. 6 shows a second detail of the first kind of supporting structure that can be made with the invention.

[0029]FIG. 7 shows the fourth kind of supporting structure that can be made with the invention.

[0030]FIG. 8 shows a first detail of the fourth kind of supporting structure that can be made with the invention.

[0031]FIG. 9 shows a second detail of the fourth kind of supporting structure that can be made with the invention.

[0032]FIG. 10 shows a third detail of the fourth kind of supporting structure that can be made with the invention.

[0033]FIG. 11 shows the fifth kind of supporting structure that can be made with the invention.

[0034]FIG. 12 shows a first detail of the fifth kind of supporting structure that can be made with the invention.

[0035]FIG. 13 shows a second detail of the fifth kind of supporting structure that can be made with the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. Supporting structure for supporting the leveled ceiling of one habitable construction, or other related constructive elements, where said structure is made with a group of different kinds of structural elements fixed to the lower part of rough works like truss, slabs and other related elements CHARACTERIZED in that said group of structural elements comprises only three different kinds of structural elements, first (1), second (6) and third (10), which are fabricated by galvanized steel or another suitable material, and which are joined with each other by screws or another suitable joining means; said first structural element (1) comprises a height regulating zone, which includes a first section (2), essentially rectangular, belonging to a first essentially vertical auxiliary plane, from whose longer sides are extended in the same direction and perpendicularly to said first essentially vertical auxiliary plane two directing walls (3), belonging respectively to a second and third essentially vertical auxiliary planes; and a supporting zone, which comprises a second section (4) essentially rectangular, belonging to said first essentially vertical auxiliary plane, which has a first, second, third and fourth sides, where said first side joins together with one of the shorter sides of said first section (2), essentially rectangular, and said second side, opposed to said first side, joins together with a supporting wall (5) belonging to a fourth essentially horizontal auxiliary plane; said second structural element (6) comprises an essentially rectangular base (7), belonging to a fifth essentially horizontal or vertical auxiliary plane, from whose longer sides are extended in the same direction and perpendicularly to said fifth auxiliary plane two essentially rectangular directed walls (8), belonging respectively to a sixth and seventh auxiliary planes which are essentially perpendicular to said fifth auxiliary plane; the shorter side of said base (7) is slightly shorter than the shorter side of said first section (2), essentially rectangular, so said second structural element can be inserted inside said height regulating zone of said first structural element (1), in such a way that said base (7) stay together with said first section (2), which allows that said directed walls (8) may stay together with or very close to said directing walls (3); the directing walls (8) are extended a shorter length than the length of said third and fourth sides of said second section (4), essentially rectangular, so said second structural element (6) can be supported by said supporting wall (5) of said first structural element (1), which allows that said base (7), of said second structural element (6), may stay together with the supporting wall (5) of said first structural element (1); said third structural element (10) comprises a lower section (11), essentially rectangular, belonging to an eighth essentially horizontal auxiliary plane, from whose longer sides rise two walls (12) up to the same height; said walls (12) have in their upper part an essentially horizontal reinforcement wall (13); the height of said third structural element (10). is slightly lower than the shorter side of said base (7), which allows that the ends of said third structural element (10) may be inserted between the directed walls (8) of said second structural element (6), so said ends may stay together with or very close to said base (7).
 2. Supporting structure, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that said directed walls (8) have in their respective opposed sides to said base (7) two respective fold reinforcements (9).
 3. Supporting structure, according to any of the presiding claims, CHARACTERIZED in that said structural elements (1, 6 and 10) may have a complete or a partial rough and/or in relief surface or may have any other suitable irregularities in their surface which may facilitate the fabricating process when screwing the screws or when putting any other suitable joining mean.
 4. Supporting structure, according to any of the presiding claims, CHARACTERIZED in that said other suitable materials may be fiber glass, carbon fiber, laminated brass, laminated copper, plastic, non ferrous materials, or any other suitable material with compatible physical properties with this invention.
 5. Supporting structure, according to any of the presiding claims, CHARACTERIZED in that said other suitable joining means may be wire joints, welding joints, bolt joints, rivet joints, as well as any other suitable joining mean with compatible physical properties with this invention. 